Police Powers – up for discussion

The Review of Police Criminal Investigative Powers Discussion Paper considers a broad range of police powers and advocates the modernisation and consolidation of those powers into a single piece of legislation.

“The aim of these proposals is to provide the courts, legal practitioners and the community with a single source of legislation for all police criminal investigative powers.

The discussion paper deals with police powers like arrest procedures, search provisions, protections and safeguards for those in custody and how police treat those in custody.”

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What’s Your opinion?

You don’t need to be an Intello to go overseas and take no part in any action, all whilst living in a protected compound! You can live just as protected a life while serving in an arms corps!! Very few of our boys on the ground are actually out in injun country contacting the enemy but they need people like the ‘intello’ to ensure their safety!

As for the Police, they have a union, serving military members do not. The Police have the option to go on strike if they so desire and bring to public attention any issues that they think are not fair and equitable, defence members have none of these options.

So sure, there are perks of serving your country that come up every now and then if not rarely, but there are a great many more that you just have to cop on the chin ALL THE TIME, like moving your entire family across the country every three or so years (sometimes more often) dragging your kids out of schools, your spouse from their job, how many times will an ACT police officer be required to move house and leave everything behind?

I do agree though on the point that more should be done for Police as it is a relatively thankless job, but as I said earlier, they have a union, if they don’t like their lot in life they can bloody well fight for it.

Many unmarked police cars aren’t difficult to spot. Tell tale signs include multiple aerials and uniformed cops in the front seat, and in some cases internal flashing lights mounted on the dashboard.

You are aware that quite a few people do try and impersonate or look like police vehicles don’t you, by installing multiple aerials and lookalike internal lights ?? (uniformed cops are a different matter)

What about changing some of the conditions to match those of the troops who head off overseas. Go to Iraq for example as an Intello and see no action apart from what you can hear, and live in a protected compound for 6 months equals …..life time health and dental free! Hand to hand combat in the streets of Canberra with a violent agressive numpties every day ……benefits nil! Go figure?

Many unmarked police cars aren’t difficult to spot. Tell tale signs include multiple aerials and uniformed cops in the front seat, and in some cases internal flashing lights mounted on the dashboard.

You are aware that quite a few people do try and impersonate or look like police vehicles don’t you, by installing multiple aerials and lookalike internal lights ?? (uniformed cops are a different matter)

The only things that might need tinkering with from time to time is to make allowances for new technology (for e.g. the Internet)or when some bonehead invents a new drug which is then added to the naughty list.

Isn’t that the reason for this discussion ….. to make sure Police powers are up to date with modern times and technology ???

DMD – 2 years is excessive m8. By the time the two years are up, they will have lost interest. It’s not that “glamorous” of a job, for people to wait 2 years for 🙂

The police already have enough powers. They had enough powers before 9/11 caused John Howard to add new laws.
The only things that might need tinkering with from time to time is to make allowances for new technology (for e.g. the Internet)or when some bonehead invents a new drug which is then added to the naughty list.

In exchange, make sure their powers are kept in check and their actions under intense scrutiny. Paying them more, however, will justify the risks and difficulties of of the job (which are already under-compensated). Considering that police have the power to take away someone’s freedom over suspicion means that they must be accountable for everything they do.

I personally think paying them the same as doctors, considering what they have to go through, is only fair. If they can get money to pay senior public servants to sit around and do nothing in departments that deal with stuff that doesn’t really deserve a singular department, they should be able to find the money to pay cops what they deserve.

More training is needed too. 9 months or so then out on the street with a gun is not beneficial for society, or for the police. I’d say a minimum of two years before they’re out on patrol.

Police actions are already under intense scrutiny, so I don’t think that’s really an issue.

Regarding training, ACT police recruits go through about 20 weeks training before they’re out on the street. Is it enough? I don’t know. Is 2 years too much? Definitely. You can do all the training in the world, but it won’t truly prepare a recruit for what they will face, no matter how much ‘realistic’ scenario based training they do.

In exchange, make sure their powers are kept in check and their actions under intense scrutiny. Paying them more, however, will justify the risks and difficulties of of the job (which are already under-compensated). Considering that police have the power to take away someone’s freedom over suspicion means that they must be accountable for everything they do.

I personally think paying them the same as doctors, considering what they have to go through, is only fair. If they can get money to pay senior public servants to sit around and do nothing in departments that deal with stuff that doesn’t really deserve a singular department, they should be able to find the money to pay cops what they deserve.

More training is needed too. 9 months or so then out on the street with a gun is not beneficial for society, or for the police. I’d say a minimum of two years before they’re out on patrol.

These police are not using their existing powers inappropriately: last weekend just because I was driving a sports car I was followed by an unmarked police brand new Toyota Landcruiser from my street corner to my destination at a church carpark ( a distance of 15 kilomatres including turning into many different streets ) where the vehicle following me did a u-turn next to my car in the carpark then left me alone. My workplace has a number of independent expert witnesses have also been discussing an unmarked utility being used to catch-out drivers.

And your point being ?? How is it you know that you were followed “just because I was driving a sports car” ?? How did you identify it was an unmarked police vehicle ??

These police are not using their existing powers inappropriately: last weekend just because I was driving a sports car I was followed by an unmarked police brand new Toyota Landcruiser from my street corner to my destination at a church carpark ( a distance of 15 kilomatres including turning into many different streets ) where the vehicle following me did a u-turn next to my car in the carpark then left me alone. My workplace has a number of independent expert witnesses have also been discussing an unmarked utility being used to catch-out drivers.

By all means give police more power,but make sure that there are enough police to the beat to carry out their duties.do not stick them behind desks.And as for how police treat those in custody.Police should treat them the same way they treat police.